Winning the Ashes this summer was a case of getting the job done. We played at
60 per cent of our capability but won 3-0. If we play at 80 per cent then we
are confident we can win in Australia.

It will be a very tough tour. We know that. The Australian press will pump their team up and give us a hostile welcome. Fine. They are a proud nation and never want to lose to the Poms. But this England team thrive in that atmosphere. It brings the best out of us.

In 2010-11 they gave us a hostile reception but at the end of the five Tests we earned the respect of the Australian public and they had turned on their own team. It is our job to go over there and play good cricket and winning cricket. If we do that we will win over the Aussie public.

The opportunity to play in an Ashes series is always something to cherish but an added attraction for us is the opportunity to win four in a row.

The squad is massively motivated to go and create history. It is not very often you get a chance to put a mark on the game and if we manage to win four successive series it will be the first time since the 19th century an England team have managed to do that. It would be an amazing achievement. But that is only the end goal, the big dream.

First we have to get our preparation spot on and ensure we are a tight unit before we even arrive in Australia. That will help us to recover if things do not go well and not become complacent if we get off to a flier. We have to ask these questions so we are prepared for any eventuality.

Five Tests is a lot of cricket. Looking too far ahead is detrimental to what you are trying to do. Focus on simple things: the first match, first hour. Break it right down. Go back to small team goals and the individual.

At the end, if you win more balls, hours, sessions and days in a Test series than the opposition then you will win the series and get the big prize at the end of it.

There are a number of things we can take from this summer. Ultimately we won 3-0. You cannot argue with that. It is there in black and white.

Now we can look forward to the next Ashes with a lot of confidence. We know this series is going to be even tougher but the great thing is most of this squad have got only fond memories of playing cricket in Australia after 2010-11.

We have an experienced side full of skill and talent and three guys leading the way in English cricket. Alastair Cook has scored the most Test centuries, Kevin Pietersen the most international runs and James Anderson has taken the most wickets in all forms of cricket. These are serious track records so we go to Australia backing ourselves in the knowledge that we are a strong unit.

At no stage did we play our best cricket this summer but that is exciting because we know there is a lot more to come.

One of the key things is putting big scores on the board. In Australia you play on very good batting wickets and have the opportunity to score huge totals. We need to take responsibility. It comes back to Graham Gooch and his mantra of ‘Daddy Hundreds’. If you get to 50 or 60, go on and put the team in a winning position. We know we have a strong bowling line-up that has proved it can take 20 wickets if the batsmen do their jobs.

Every batter has the hunger and desire to score runs. I include myself. I have got a responsibility to score runs at No 7. It has been a pretty poor summer. I am big enough to say that. It happens. That is the game.

Up until now I had enjoyed three years of consistent cricket. Sometimes it turns around for no reason. I have not changed my technique or stopped working hard. Sometimes it does not work for you.

During my hundred in Auckland the ball twice bounced against the stumps without knocking off the bails. At Trent Bridge this summer I ended up toe-ending two balls straight to fielders. How luck switches is amazing. It was not my time this summer.

Every player goes through it. I have to rectify that and not get too down on myself. As long as I am working hard, I know it will turn around again.

Over the years I have proved I am a good enough player. There are lots of runs locked away and hopefully they can come out in Australia.